Deadend connector with anchor member



Oct. 12, 1965 J. J. BRAUTIGAM DEADEND CONNECTOR WITH ANCHOR MEMBER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24, 1962 INVENTOR. JOH N 1 BR AU TIGAM y 14 A7' TO/PA/E/ Oct. 12, 1965 J. J. BRAUTIGAM 3,211,829

DEADEND CONNECTOR WITH ANCHOR MEMBER Filed Sept. 24, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet2 F/ 6 INVENTOR.

JOHN J BRAUTIGAM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,211,829 DEADENDCONNECTOR WITH ANCHOR MEMBER John J. Brautigam, Darien, Conn., assignorto Burndy Corporation, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 24, 1962,Ser. No. 225,767 3 Claims. (Cl. 174-79) My invention relates to adeadend connector for physically securing an electrical conductor to ananchorage point.

It is an object of this invention to provide a deadend connector havingimproved means for securing an anchorage member to the connector body.

A further object is to provide a deadend connector in which the partsthereof may be physically fastened together by crimping and/ormechanical means and which may thereafter be electrically andmechanically connected to a conductor by additional crimping.

A still further object is to provide a deadend connector which includesmeans for electrically connecting a branch conduct-or to a dead endedconductor.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a deadend connector thatis reliable, which may be readily assembled, and which is inexpensive tomanufacture.

I accomplish these and other objects and obtain my new results as willbe apparent from the devices described in the following specification,particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a deadend connector having a loopedbail and a connecting tongue, showing the bail fastened to the connectorbody by crimping;

FIGURE '2 is a perspective view of a deadend c-onnector having amodified bail and showing a body in which the bail has been mechanicallyfastened thereto;

FIGURE 3 is a partly exploded perspective view of a deadend connectorhaving an eyebolt type of anchorage,

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of FIGURE 1prior to crimping;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the deadend connector ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a similar view of the deadend connector of FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawing, reference numeral 10 designates amalleable tubular connector body made of electrically conductive metal.The body may be advantageously formed of a unitary tube, one end ofwhich is flattened and bent to form an integral end wall 24, and atongue 12 for mounting to an electrically connecting device, not shown.The appearance of a connector body formed in this manner is more clearlyillustrated in FIGURES 2 and 5, discussed later in this specification.Apertures 38 may be provided in the tongue to facilitate mounting of aconnecting device.

An anchoring member or bail 14 comprising a loop of wire formed into twolegs 16 and 18 is inserted through two apertures 20 and 22 in the closedend 24 of the tubular body. In use, one end of a conductor such as acommercial power cable having a fixed mounting at the other end, issecured within the body, and the looped end of the bail is engaged by ahook or the like mounted on a support such as a building or telegraphpole to apply axial tension to the conductor.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a plug 26 having a length less than the internallength of the connector body is employed to retain the bail to theconnector body. The plug end is preferably formed to mate with the innersurface of end wall 24, and may be grooved, as at 28 3,21 1,829 PatentedOct. 12, 1965 and 30, to permit the legs 16 and 18 to be receivedtherein. The ends 32 and 34 of the legs are inwardly bent to engage theforward surface 27 of the plug to prevent separation by pulling,although the ends may be formed in other obvious shapes serving toresist separation. Forces applied to the bail and body in use are thustransmitted between the two by compressing the plug against body endwall 24. Bail retention forces are thus derived from engagement of thebail and plug 26, and the bail material is chosen so that the forcerequired to straighten or separate the ends is greater than the forcesordinarily encountered in use.

In assembling the connector, the two legs of the bail are first insertedthrough the apertures 20 and 22. The plug is positioned between the twolegs 16 and 18 and the leg ends inwardly bent as shown. The ends mayhowever be formed prior to inserting the bail into apertures 20 and 22if the apertures are suitably enlarged. The bail is then pulled tightuntil the ends 32 and 34 are seated against surface 27 and the plug isseated within the tubular sleeve against the inside surface of end wall24.

In the crimped form, the connector wall is then crimped, as at 36,locking the plug in position. The crimps may preferably be positioned toinclude the legs 16 and 18 to provide retaining force in the form of asnub connection.

The remainder of the tubular sleevein front of the plug is used forinserting a conductor 50 (see FIGURES 2 and 5) therein and crimping toestablish the electrical connection. As an example, in a tubularconnector having a length of 3.25 inches, the plug length need only be0.50 inch, allowing 2.75 inches for crimping the conductor therein.

In the deadend connector shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, employing mechanicalbail fastening means, parts identical to corresponding parts of FIGURES1 and 4 have been identically numbered and include an identifying asufiix. A threaded cap 42 is positioned in front of the plug 26a withinthe connector body 10a. The inner surface of the connector 10a issimilarly threaded at this point as at 47 to engage the cap and topermit it to be tightened against the plug. Slot 44 may be provided inthe cap for inserting a rotating tool therein. The front surface 27a ofthe plug is grooved as at 45 to provide seats for the bent over ends oflegs 16a and 18a which may be identical to the ends 32 and 34 of FIGURE4, and to permit the cap to engage the surface upon tightening. Thislocks the inwardly bent ends against forward movement to preventinadvertent di-sassembly of the plug, bail and body.

Other suitable types of mechanical securing means for engaging a cap 42to connector body 10a may be used in place of the threading shown.

In the design shown in FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 6, the anchorage membercomprises an eyebolt 14b having a stem portion 53 which terminates in afiat plate or mushroom head portion 52. The head may be integral withthe stem or secured thereto by any suitable means. The plug 26b in thisversion may be divided into two mating sections 260 and 26d, each havinga groove 28 to receive the eyebolt and form a bearing collar engagingthe stem side of head 32. The end wall 24b of connector body 10b isapertured as at 20b to allow the eyebolt to extend therethrough.

When crimped as at 36b, after the plug sections have been assembled andthe eyebolt tightly drawn to position 14bb, the plug and eyebolt aresecured to the connector. Knurling of the stem 53 proximate the head 52,as at 54 may be provided to insure increased retention when the plugsections are forced together about the bolt by crimping or by thecamming action of the rounded inner surfaces of end wall 24b.

In the foregoing, there has been provided an inexpensive type of deadendwhich is reliable in operation and is quickly and easily installed. Theretention and force transmitting plug may be either crimped ormechanically secured in position, allowing the rest of the tubular bodyto be utilized for crimping the inserted conductor. Retaining forcesapplied to the anchorage member are distributed through the retentionplug over substantially the entire inner surface of the body end wallthus reducing unit pressures on the body.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it understood that itis not confined to the particular forms shown and described, the samebeing merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out inother ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, andtherefore I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalentinstrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, and bymeans of which objects of my invention are obtained and new resultsaccomplished since the particular embodiments herein shown and describedare only some of the many that can be employed to obtain these objectsand accomplish these results.

I claim:

1. An anchoring connector for a conductor, comprising: a longitudinallyextending tubular body member formed of malleable metal and including anopen forward end for receiving a conductor and a closed rearward endwall having an opening therethrough; a substantially cylindrical plugmember telescopically disposed within said body member and having alongitudinal opening therein; said plug member further including asubstantially transverse forward surface portion and a rear- Ward endportion adapted to abut the inner surface of said body member end wall;an anchor member longitudinally extending through said body member endwall opening and said plug member opening, and having means external tosaid body member for mounting to a support; said anchor member beingprovided with a transversely bent portion within said body member for 4engaging said plug member forward surface to prevent rearward movementof said anchor relative to. said plug; said body member being crimped ina plane intersecting said plug member and said anchor member to securesaid members to said body member.

2. The anchoring connector of claim 1 wherein said body member end wallincludes a second opening therethrough; said plug member includes asecond longitudinal opening; said anchor member is of generally U-shapehaving a base and two longitudinally extending legs, said base beingdisposed externally of said body member with said legs extending throughsaid end wall openings and said plug member openings into said bodymember; and said transversely bent portion is formed at the end of oneof said legs and a second transversely bent portion is formed at the endof the other of said legs.

3. The anchoring connector of claim 1 wherein said tubular body memberincludes an integral tongue por tion, for making electrical connectionsthereto, formed by flattening a length of the tubular body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,195,569 4/40Hill 24123 2,416,943 3/47 Nicolazzo 24-123 X 2,535,072 12/50 KatZ 17475X 2,595,057 4/52 Cotter 24-123 X 2,629,921 3/53 Gray 17475 X 2,879,3213/59 Nilsson 174-79 3,123,663 3/64 Muldoon 339-276 X FOREIGN PATENTS23,296 3/06 'Austria. 1,116,911 5/56 France.

647,912 12/50 Great Britain.

DARRELL L. CLAY, Acting Primary Examiner. JOHN P. WILDMAN, JOHN F.BURNS. Examiners.

1. AN ANCHORING CONNECTOR FOR A CONDUCTOR, COMPRISING: A LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING TUBULAR BODY MEMBER FORMED OF MALLEABLE METAL AND INCLUDINIGAN OPEN FORWARD END FOR RECEIVING A CONDUCTOR AND A CLOSED REARWARD ENDWALL HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH; A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL PLUGMEMBER TELESCOPICALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER AND HAVING ALONGITUDINAL OPENING THEREIN; SAID PLUG MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING ASUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSE FORWARD SURFACE PORTION AND A REARWARD ENDPORTION ADAPTED TO ABUT THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BODY MEMBER END WALL;AN ANCHOR MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY MEMBER ENDWALL OPENING AND SAID PLUG MEMBER OPENING, AND HAVING MEANS EXTERNAL TOSAID BODY MEMBER FOR MOUNTING TO A SUPPORT; SAID ANCHOR MEMBER BEINGPROVIDED WITH A TRANSVERSELY BENT PORTION WITHIN SAID BODY MEMBER FORENGAGING SAID PLUG MEMBER FORWARD SURFACE TO PREVENT REARWARD MOVEMENTOF SAID ANCHOR RELATIVE TO SAID PLUG; SAID BODY MEMBER BEING CRIMPED INA PLANE INTERSECTING SAID PLUG MEMBER AND SAID ANCHOR MEMBER TO SECURESAID MEMBERS TO SAID BODY MEMBER.